I bring it up because it’s one possible explanation for the weird situation that unfolded this week.

But Bosma is tough to pin down. A few years ago, he suggested a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase. And now here he is, striking down legislation that sailed through the House Public Health Committee and sought to curb the smoking rate in Indiana – a state that lights up with the frequency of an anxiety-ridden Fidel Castro.

State legislators essentially ignored the problem for a long time, but this year they suddenly decided to try one of the most audacious pieces of legislation in years. Indiana would have been only the sixth state to hike the smoking age to 21 – and the only one not tucked into the east or west coasts.

It was bound to fail. But it’s the way that it failed that’s so distressing.

Personally, I think the smoking age should stay at 18. If you’re old enough to die in Afghanistan, you’re old enough to buy a pack of Marlboros. I don’t think you should be able to pollute public places with secondhand smoke – our air quality is already bad enough -- but if you feel like lighting up on your front porch, go right ahead.

That kind of wishy-washy endorsement of personal freedom likely resonates with our Republican-dominated legislature. Sen. Brandt Hershman told the Indy Star we should look at "government intrusion" with a "cautious eye."

But we’re awfully selective on what is and what isn't "government intrusion."

Why is Bosma giving tobacco a pass after he’s spent years denying any advancement of medical marijuana?

Why does the government get to decide where -- and when -- Hoosiers can grab a six-pack of cold beer?

Why did we spend years relegating gambling to pirate waters? True story: if you say “blackjack” to Mike Pence, his knees instantly buckle. Only the strongest military-grade smelling salts will revive him.

And considering our past efforts to tell transgender folks where they’re allowed to use the bathroom, some of our politicians are probably praying Neil Gorsuch will lead a revolt against Obergefell v. Hodges so we go back to telling people who they’re allowed to marry.

Hopefully some of these issues will be addressed soon. Sunday alcohol sales, already a reality in Henderson, Kentucky, could come to Indiana as soon as this summer.

Still, it would be nice to see the statehouse protect all worthwhile personal freedoms – not just the ones they agree with. We’ve got guns, religion and now cigarettes covered. It’s time to branch out.

A strategy to reduce smoking rates that doesn’t infantilize legal adults would be nice, too. How about upping the cigarette tax? Or expanding smoking bans?

The American Lung Association would like those suggestions. Surely it has a few dollars to spare.